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School of Global Studies

Religion and Ritual (L6072)

Religion and Ritual

Module L6072

Module details for 2021/22.

15 credits

FHEQ Level 5

Module Outline

This option is concerned with the explanation of religious and ritual phenomena. It explores the key theoretical issues by examining ethnographic material that deals with - among other things - initiation, myth, witchcraft, symbolism and religious experience. There is also some treatment of more 'secular' rituals such as carnival and Christmas. The focus is as much on how people believe as on what they believe; on why they perform rituals as much as what these rituals look like. It explores both classic texts and more recent accounts, to give students a sense of where particular arguments have come from and where they are going.

Module learning outcomes

To demonstrate knowledge/understanding of anthropological approaches to understanding religion and ritual.

To analyse/evaluate/assess main theoretical debates in the field of anthropology of religion and ritual, and an awareness of the history of these debates and how specific theoretical trends have developed over time.

To relate theory to specific ethnographic contexts of religious and ritual practice.

To evaluate/compare strengths and weaknesses of anthropological theory that has been developed and deployed to understand actual practices.

TypeTimingWeighting
Essay (3000 words)Semester 1 Assessment Week 1 Thu 16:00100.00%
Timing

Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.

Weighting

Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.

TermMethodDurationWeek pattern
Autumn SemesterLecture2 hours11010101010
Autumn SemesterSeminar2 hours00101010101

How to read the week pattern

The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.

Mx Emilia Moscardini-Powers

Assess convenor
/profiles/214700

Miss Susan Chater

Assess convenor
/profiles/336740

Dr James McMurray

Assess convenor
/profiles/244445

Dr Evan Killick

Assess convenor
/profiles/248956

Miss Camila Supervielle

Assess convenor
/profiles/535431

Prof Margaret Sleeboom-Faulkner

Convenor
/profiles/192052

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